“That might have been more entertaining than the strip tease you did last night.”
I smack him. “Stop. I feel like a stuffed sausage.”
“This was your idea,” he laughs.
I put one hand on my hip and glare at him. “So, you’re saying I do look like a stuffed sausage?” I challenge.
“Yes, and I look like…” He tugs on the arms of the suit, but they won’t reach his wrists.
“A popped sausage?” I suggest.
“Well, I was going to say, dangerously irresistible, but I think your description is more accurate.”
I go up on my toes and kiss him. “Two things can be true at once,” I joke. I crinkle my nose and look around. “I wish there was a karaoke machine.”
“I don’t.”
“It was for your benefit. To help you learn the words.”
“You know they don’t really get married in Mamma Mia.”
“So, you have seen it.”
“It’s kind of a classic, Jay,” he huffs out, looking a bit sheepish. “I guess Donna and Sam got married.”
The fact that he knows that makes me laugh. “Ohmigod, you’re killing me.” I twirl in the bohemian dress. “I kind of like that Sophie and Sky head off to see the world.” I grin. “Let’s sing the song from the beach scene. Lay all your love on me.”
“Shouldn’t we be in bathing suits for that? On a beach, not locked in a country club during a snowstorm?”
I roll my eyes at him as he tugs on the sleeves again. “We’re working with what we have, Penn.”
I find the song, and put up the lyrics on my phone. “Okay, you sing Sky’s part, and I’ll sing Sophie’s part.”
“Yay.”
I whack him and laugh. “Where’s your enthusiasm?”
“Must be back at the peppermint room. Maybe the scary elf stole it.”
Ignoring his grumpiness, I put on the song, and give him the phone. I don’t need to read the words. I know them by heart.
“Let’s go.”
He starts, a little stiff, and I twirl around him, grinning like a fool when he stumbles over the words. But he keeps going. He’s trying. For me. And that makes my chest ache in the best way. Honestly, I couldn’t love him more for it.
Love.
No, not love. Appreciation is more like it. I belt out the next few lines and he stands there and watches me perform. His smile is soft, proud, like I’m the only thing worth seeing in the whole world. The best part? He doesn’t dim me. He doesn’t tease me for being too much. He lets me shine, and then shines with me.
I hold my hand out to him and he comes to me, and then I point to the phone because he’s missing his lines.
“Oh, right.” He glances at the phone as I take his hand and spin around him. He belts out the lyrics and a joy I haven’t felt in a very long time…a joy I might not have ever felt in my life…wraps around my soul and hugs tight. We sing and dance and laugh and by the time the song is over we’re both breathless and laughing like fools.
“You’re incredible,” he says and pulls me to him. “You were meant for the stage, Jay.”
I shut my phone down and that’s when I hear it. My eyes go wide. “Penn.”
He glances over his shoulder, looking terrified. “What? It’s not the twins, is it?”